Posts: 1737
From: California
Registered: Oct 2001

posted March 28, 2004 07:27 PM         

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Does anyone else's dogs eat rocks? Kona, my Mom's dog, used to suck on, chew, and "attempt" to eat rocks. Different types of rocks. Now my puppy, Jasmine does it. She loves to suck on it, drop it, play with it in her mouth, and chew them. We always take them away from her because we're scared it will chip her teeth.
She seems to be obsessed with getting rocks. You can always tell when she gets one; she gets that "guilty" look on her face and tries to disguise it from being in her mouth.
Kona used to give it away too; she would walk slower than normal, and hold her head down, while watching you from the corner of her eye,.........while trying to hide it.
Why do dogs like to eat rocks? They get high quality dog food, with "Missing Link", a vitamin mineral supplement daily. So I don't see that they're missing a mineral that the body might be craving?

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Posts: 503
From: durban
Registered: Nov 2002

posted March 29, 2004 05:20 AM         

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We once had a dog who did a similar thing.
He use to roll around and on rocks(usually big ones too)used to bark at them and pick them up and carry them to another part of the garden and start over again.He would go on and on.
He did this right up to his death.

MD

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Posts: 1737
From: California
Registered: Oct 2001

posted March 29, 2004 09:39 PM         

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MD ~

Awwww....how sweet. It's cute the things they do

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Posts: 29
From: eastcoast australia
Registered: Oct 2004

posted January 27, 2005 05:51 AM         

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dogs and rocks, maybe a dietary thing called 'pica'. humans can get it too, my stepmum used to have a special brick when she was pregnant that she would chip at through the day, something within was urging her to ingest this brick in small amounts. the doctor called it this 'pica'. its something to do with needing minerals. That's why dogs like rocks too. I had a boxer who did this even when his teeth were worn down to nothing, he also would dive underwater to fetch them for fun. I've even met a child who would pick around in ashtrays and eat the ash until his mum put him on supplements. I've met cows who eat rubber hoses at a certain time of year when the grass is lacking something they need.

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If i only end up being a notch on your bedpost, let it be a notch with a smiley face /:)

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Posts: 21257
From: Columbus, GA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted January 29, 2005 11:01 AM         

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Sometimes dogs eat so many rocks that it requires surgery.

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"Never mentally imagine for another that which you would not want to experience for yourself, since the mental image you send out inevitably comes back to you." Rebecca Clark

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Posts: 1737
From: California
Registered: Oct 2001

posted January 30, 2005 12:36 PM         

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Dear raihs,

that is so interesting and makes a lot of sense. However, how does our intestinal tract digest bricks????

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Posts: 4617
From: Vancouver USA
Registered: May 2004

posted January 30, 2005 01:40 PM         

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I'm betting it doesn't.

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Posts: 21257
From: Columbus, GA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted January 31, 2005 02:02 PM         

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It may slough off some minerals.

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"Never mentally imagine for another that which you would not want to experience for yourself, since the mental image you send out inevitably comes back to you." Rebecca Clark

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Posts: 2139
From: Laaandon
Registered: Jul 2004

posted February 01, 2005 06:53 AM         

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..and stomach lining

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Posts: 21257
From: Columbus, GA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted February 01, 2005 11:27 AM         

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"Never mentally imagine for another that which you would not want to experience for yourself, since the mental image you send out inevitably comes back to you." Rebecca Clark

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Posts: 29
From: eastcoast australia
Registered: Oct 2004

posted February 01, 2005 03:40 PM         

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My stepmum only felt the need to eat brick when she was pregnant...old dragon still alive and kicking, didn't turn her to stone or anything like that. By the way, hens peck at rocks to help with their digestion....and then there's the old (native american?) thing for thirst of sucking a rock when there's no water, not sure if it works or not.

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If i only end up being a notch on your bedpost, let it be a notch with a smiley face /:)

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Posts: 304
From: New York, New York
Registered: Feb 2005

posted February 09, 2005 05:29 PM         

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Try feeding him purina beneful. Dogs can be so silly I love em!

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Posts: 429
From: Palmer, Alaska (the valley)
Registered: Jul 2004

posted March 21, 2005 06:22 PM         

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This is crazy that there is a post regarding this subject. My new puppy is doing this. At first I thought she was just playing aorund shoving her nose in the dirt. But shes actually picking these rocks up and swallowing them. They are very small pebbles. I searched her *ahem* poo, and sure enough she had been swallowing them. I am worried for the lining of her tummy. Expecially being young. I have been trying to avoid the areas in our yard where the plow man plowed the snow since rock is there now.
I also thought maybe a deficiency of some sort, except i was thinking an iron deficiency. because she is also eating my house plant dirt and the dirt in my flower beds.
Any other opinions out there?

ang-

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Posts: 1737
From: California
Registered: Oct 2001

posted March 21, 2005 09:02 PM         

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Dear Angel of Hope,

Yes it's hilarious that it's a topic here!!! But it's true. My dog is almost 2 years old and she just loves crunching rocks. She likes the mineral types that crumble easily. Of course, when we see her with a mouthful, we take it/them away from her.
Could you please ask your Vet next time you go, and I'll ask mine, and we'll compare responses.

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Posts: 429
From: Palmer, Alaska (the valley)
Registered: Jul 2004

posted March 22, 2005 02:52 PM         

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I will definatly do that. I have planned otask them when I go in at beginning of April, really soon. I've also got a few emails out to the Sled Dog Mushers asking them if they've had these problems. So we'll see. I will respond when I hear something and let you know Nephthys! Thanks

ang-

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Posts: 350
From: Nevada
Registered: Sep 2004

posted April 03, 2005 03:44 PM         

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My aunt used to eat ashes out of the fireplace when she was little. The doctor said the same thing--that is was a mineral deficiency.

My dog doesn't eat rocks, but he eats goose poo, empty paper towel and tp rolls, and he takes the stick out of the sliding door to chew on. It looks like a giant double-sharpened pencil now.

My other dog used to lick the ground and we thought he had epilepsy because he'd have attacks. turned out he had a blood disease and he passed a while later. He was such a good dog.

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Posts: 21257
From: Columbus, GA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted April 04, 2005 01:05 PM         

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"Never mentally imagine for another that which you would not want to experience for yourself, since the mental image you send out inevitably comes back to you." Rebecca Clark

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Posts: 53
From: Alaska
Registered: Apr 2005

posted April 06, 2005 12:56 AM         

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Angel of Hope I say she will grow out of it - they all do....just a puppy thing...

Ma

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Posts: 429
From: Palmer, Alaska (the valley)
Registered: Jul 2004

posted April 06, 2005 02:23 PM         

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Ma "pixiedust",
I'm hopin she does .... im thinking its just a puppy thing, like you. But Im still now allowing her too, it scares me thinking about the neg things that could come of the rocks in her belly. ... so i guess I should just think positive then .... and cancel out all those neg thoughts! ....

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Ang-
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
cap - sun/asc/merc, cancer - moon

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Posts: 53
From: Alaska
Registered: Apr 2005

posted April 06, 2005 10:03 PM         

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I think she will - and

CANCEL CANCEL CANCEL the bad thoughts! Bear did the same thing - just watch her like a hawk!

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Posts: 21257
From: Columbus, GA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted April 10, 2005 08:57 PM         

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"Never mentally imagine for another that which you would not want to experience for yourself, since the mental image you send out inevitably comes back to you." Rebecca Clark

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Posts: 228
From: City Of The Lost Towers
Registered: Apr 2005

posted May 11, 2005 12:51 AM         

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Purina beneful dog food!

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Posts: 195
From: salt lake city, utah, USA
Registered: Nov 2004

posted May 11, 2005 11:19 AM         

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sometimes animals eat rocks to help break down the food they've eaten. I think its a old instinct that comes out in some dogs more than others.

like the domesticated dog has instincts that have gone from generation to generation and the wild wolf too. both are different in attitude and way of living, but are from the same family. and a domesticated dog will definately do some things a wolfy would do too.

like with purebreds you pretty much know what your getting, because you can check the heritage of the dog, were the parents good mannered with children, people, or are they stubborn and such..you can find that out in a family line. with Mutts..they're so cute...you dont know what you're getting and sometimes more origin instincts than domesticated.

I had a Wolf-shephard that ate rocks all the time, but then again, he aint raw meat, and the vet said the rocks helped to break down the meat.

as for women eating rocks, I remember as a young boy a neighbor asking my mother to bring her some red dirt back from Alabama (we lived in Chicago...no red dirt) my mom said that pregnant woman in the south ate it all the time.....always wanted to get some and put it on a steak....

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Posts: 21257
From: Columbus, GA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted May 12, 2005 03:48 PM         

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That makes sense.

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"There is no use trying," said Alice; "one can't believe impossible things." "I dare say you haven't had much practice," said the Queen. "When I was your age, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." Lewis Carroll

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